The Farmer Who Became His Own Harvest

This is a record of an interview with the spirit of a farmer who, through the Law of Cause and Effect, became an avocado. He sought deliverance at the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre in Australia. This account was recorded by the chief writer, Venerable Fa Ci, on October 6, 2017.

Venerable Fa Ci speaks:

"Today, I am interviewing an avocado. This serves as proof that when the dimensions of space are opened, we can communicate with all beings in the universe. It also demonstrates that every object possesses its own spirit. Now, I invite the Avocado Bodhisattva to share your story."

The Spirit of the Farmer speaks:

"Ha! Ha! Who are you talking to? Are you talking to me? I am an avocado? An avocado? How could I have become an avocado? Heavens, what is going on here? Can someone please tell me?"

The Confusion of a Transformed Soul

Venerable Fa Ci: "Do not be nervous. Calm your heart, look back into your past, and try to reflect on how you became an avocado."

The Spirit of the Farmer: "Look back? How do I look back? Do I turn left or right? I do not understand!"

Venerable Fa Ci: "I mean for you to settle your emotions and slowly reflect on the circumstances that led to your transformation into an avocado."

A Life Devoted to the Orchard

The Spirit of the Farmer: "Oh! Let me think. I am Australian. I remember I once owned a massive avocado farm. What I was most proud of was the harvest season. Every time we harvested, I would pack the beautiful, plump avocados into box after box to be sold all across Australia. I was so proud that all of Australia was eating the avocados I had grown with my own hands.

"Whenever harvest time approached, I would drive my small off-road vehicle to patrol the entire farm, checking for any irregularities or areas that needed maintenance. Who could have known? On the night before one harvest, I had a dream. I dreamt that the entire farm had caught fire. In my desperation to save my farm, I threw myself forward, grabbing a water source and rushing toward the flames, trying to extinguish the inferno and save my avocado trees. But the ruthless fire spread with such terrifying speed that I was caught completely unprepared. I stared at the avocado trees, watching my life's work vanish. In an instant, I woke up, panicked, and rushed to my farm to see if it was real. Thankfully, it was only a dream."

The Final Attachment

"Following that dream, many similar ones occurred. I became increasingly obsessed with my avocado trees. To take better care of them, I even built a small house right next to the orchard so I could live there and react immediately to any situation. One day, while patrolling the farm, I do not know what I tripped over, but I accidentally hit my head against an avocado tree. In a state of dizziness and bleeding, I passed away. My very last thought before dying was, 'I wonder if the avocado tree I hit is alright? Is it injured?'

"Just like that, I entered the very avocado tree I had been cultivating. As it grew, I became an avocado. After being picked, graded, and sent to various markets and fruit shops, I experienced this cycle of growth several times. This time, I do not know if it was a blessing from Jesus, but I was brought into the warehouse of a fruit shop. Suddenly, a powerful, soft light shone in, and the entire warehouse transformed into a world of radiance."

A New Hope at Hsiang Kuang

"After some time, I and many of my vegetable and fruit companions were loaded onto a truck and transported out. I was still dazed and confused until I arrived here and heard the sound of the Buddha-name chanting. I heard someone speaking to me, asking me to share my story, and only then did I wake up and realise that I had become an avocado. Heavens! This world is not at all like the one I knew. To think that just because I was thinking about avocados at the moment of my death, I became an avocado—how terrifying! What is this place? It plays music I have never heard, and there is a light I have never seen. The magnetic field is so peaceful; it makes one feel so relaxed, so very relaxed.

"Suddenly, I was moved into a cool, refreshing place. There were so many companions inside. Everyone was welcoming our group, telling us, 'You are saved! Coming here, you can gain a new life.' I did not understand! I hurriedly asked, 'What does that mean?' They told me this is a Buddha-land, a place that can help everyone leave suffering behind and gain happiness. They said I do not have to be a fruit or vegetable anymore. As long as I follow the music and chant, every Sunday I have the opportunity to travel to different worlds. In those worlds, there is no need to work and no need to worry—it is a wonderful place! It sounds amazing. I have decided to observe for a while first."

Venerable Fa Ci: "May I ask what you would like to be called? I will first write a memorial tablet for you so that you may observe the Western Dharma-Nature Land."

This interview message was recorded by the chief writer, Venerable Fa Ci.